The Best Meal Replacement Shakes - Testing, Tasting & Results

Day 1. I mixed two leveled scoops with cold water and shook for ten seconds. The drink was smooth, just a few oat flecks. Flavour was muted, like watered‑down porridge. Sucralose sat on my tongue at the finish. I felt comfortably full for three hours.

Day 3. I swapped water for unsweetened almond milk. Texture became creamier and masked some of the artificial sweetness, but the sucralose still lingered. After the full shake I noticed light bloating and a few stomach gurgles that passed in an hour.

Day 5. Breakfast on the train. I tried adding instant coffee powder. That helped with flavour, yet I still tasted sucralose in the background. Satiety was solid until near noon. No mid‑morning snack needed.

On Saturday I used Huel after a morning run. Energy felt steady for the next two hours, yet when I sat down I noticed bloating again. My partner who has no issue with sucralose finished her shake without trouble, so the reaction might just be me.

Days 8‑10. Flavour fatigue arrived. The mild oat taste plus the same sucralose note got dull. I blended half a banana on day nine which helped but turned breakfast into a mini smoothie session instead of a quick shake.

When I was back in the office I kept Huel at my desk. The shake did its job, replacing a sandwich and saving me time. Colleagues said it smelled like oatmeal. No one complained about the scent.

By day fourteen I cut each serving to one and a half scoops to ease the bloating. That softened the sucralose taste too. Hunger returned sooner, so I paired the smaller shake with a piece of fruit.

Huel Original is a dependable meal powder that focuses on balanced nutrition rather than bold flavour. It covers protein, carbs, fats, fibre, and a long list of vitamins in one hundred grams of powder. Each four hundred calorie serving delivered steady energy during work mornings and light workouts. I never felt a sugar crash and my blood sugar stayed level, which is the core promise of a complete meal shake.

The product’s strengths are its simplicity and price. You get oats for low‑GI carbs, a solid thirty grams of plant protein, and twelve grams of fat from flax and sunflower sources. Fibre lands at eight grams which kept digestion regular. The bag gives clear scoop marks, mixes fast, and rarely clumps. When you want straight nutrition in sixty seconds, Huel does that well.

Taste is the weak point. Original flavour is bland with a slight oat note and the unmistakable, lingering taste of sucralose. At first the sweetness feels light, but it builds up day after day. By the second week I was reaching for cocoa powder, instant coffee, or fruit just to break the monotony. If you enjoy very subtle flavours you might be fine. If you need variety, expect to add your own extras.

My biggest personal issue was mild bloating after a full two‑scoop shake. It settled within an hour but returned most times I drank the full serving. Cutting the portion to one and a half scoops helped, though it reduced satiety. Friends who digest sucralose well may never notice this, yet it is worth mentioning for sensitive stomachs.

The formula also contains sucralose as the only sweetener. Some people avoid artificial sweeteners because of the taste, and others report digestive discomfort. For those users Huel’s Black or other versions with different sweetening systems might be a better fit.

Huel Original offers only a single flavour in this variant. Compared with other brands that provide chocolate, vanilla, berry, or coffee options, this feels limited. You can layer flavour powders or fruit, but that adds prep time and cost.

In day‑to‑day life Huel slots neatly into a busy schedule. I saved twenty minutes each morning by shaking and drinking on the train instead of making breakfast. I spent less money than buying lunch at a café, and nutrition was more consistent. For weight management it works, as long as you enjoy a plain shake and track calories for the rest of your meals.

Verdict: Huel Original is a solid, no‑frills meal replacement with balanced macros and a fair price. It is best for people who value convenience over flavour and do not mind sucralose. If you want richer taste, natural sweeteners, or a shake that never causes bloating, you may need to look elsewhere or get creative with add‑ins. For me, it serves as an emergency meal option rather than a daily go‑to, mainly because the sucralose flavor and mild stomach reaction limit long‑term appeal.

Day one started at my desk. I shook 90 grams of powder with cold water in the company kitchen and took my first sip. The drink was silky, almost too smooth, and very sweet. Sucralose kicked in at the finish. I felt full for about three hours. No digestive issues.

By day three the maltodextrin hit showed itself. An hour after breakfast my energy spiked, then dipped. I grabbed a coffee to recover. Lunch was another Soylent, which sat heavier than the morning shake. Mild bloating followed, something I rarely get with oat‑based drinks.

On Friday I tried blending Soylent with ice and a spoonful of instant coffee. The texture thickened and the coffee masked some of the artificial edge. Satiety lasted closer to four hours, but the shake now tasted like a sweet latte. Not bad, just repetitive.

The weekend test was more social. I poured a serving into a bottle for a long road trip. Convenience won here. No fast‑food stops, no cleanup. By hour two the sweetness fatigue hit again, and I reached for plain water to rinse the sucralose film off my tongue.

Week two I cut each serving to half and paired it with fruit or nuts. That reduced the sugar rush and toned down the sucralose. It also meant the bag emptied sooner. Mixing remained easy, no clumps, and I liked that I could make breakfast in under a minute.

Near the end of the trial my stomach had adjusted, yet I still noticed slight gas after a full serving. Friends who tried a glass reported the same sweet vanilla taste, with reactions ranging from “fine” to “too syrupy.” None complained about texture.

Fourteen days in, I had finished two and a half bags. The powder saved time and money, but I missed real food flavors. Maltodextrin plus sucralose delivered quick energy, not lasting pleasure.he sucralose taste too. Hunger returned sooner, so I paired the smaller shake with a piece of fruit.

Soylent Powder remains the most accessible complete meal on the market. Pharmacies, supermarkets, and online retailers keep it in stock, and the price per 400‑calorie serving is one of the lowest of any mainstream shake. If your checklist reads quick, cheap, no cooking, Soylent scores high.

Nutrition is balanced on paper: 20 grams of soy protein for muscle repair, 19 grams of fat from canola or sunflower oil for energy, 42 grams of carbohydrates for quick fuel, and a vitamin blend that hits twenty percent of most daily targets. The formula is vegan and lactose free, which broadens appeal.

The compromises show up in taste and ingredient quality. Maltodextrin is a fast carb that spikes blood sugar, and it is the second ingredient by weight. Sucralose keeps calories down but leaves an unmistakable diet‑drink aftertaste that grows stronger with repeated use. Sixteen grams of total sugar per serving, fifteen of those added, also push the drink firmly into dessert territory. After a week the sweetness becomes tiring, and many users reach for coffee, cocoa, or fruit to cut the flavor, which adds prep time.

The texture is almost too perfect, thanks to refined powders and gums. It slides down quickly but feels slick, like drinking melted ice cream that never melts. Some people love that efficiency; others miss the grainy, real‑food mouthfeel found in oat‑based shakes.

I experienced mild bloating and occasional gas after full servings, likely from the combination of soluble corn fiber and soy. Reducing the portion helped. Online reviews echo this, with some users reporting smooth sailing and others noting discomfort.

Ethically, Soylent sparks debate. Soy farming carries its own environmental load, and the heavy reliance on processed ingredients feels at odds with the current trend toward clean labels. Supporters argue that shelf‑stable powder reduces food waste and lowers the carbon footprint of daily meals. Critics point to the absence of whole‑food components and the high glycemic carbohydrate profile.

In day‑to‑day use Soylent excels at pure convenience. It kept me fed during back‑to‑back meetings, long drives, and evenings when cooking felt impossible. It also saved money compared with takeout. Yet I never craved it. Each shake felt like a functional pit stop rather than a meal to enjoy.

In summary, Soylent Powder is the original plug‑and‑play meal shake, still reliable, still affordable, and still everywhere. It works best for people who value speed over flavor and are comfortable with artificial sweetener and refined carbs. If you care about natural ingredients or nuanced taste, newer shakes with oat bases and low‑GI sweeteners offer a more satisfying experience. For emergencies and tight schedules I will keep a bag on the shelf, but for daily nutrition I will reach for something less processed and a bit more real.

Day 1. Breakfast was one scoop blended with cold almond milk. The drink was watery and had a mild grass note under the vanilla. By 9 a.m. I was hungry again and reached for oatmeal. Lesson learned: one scoop is a snack.

Day 3. I doubled the dose. Two scoops with banana and ice made a thicker shake, roughly 300 calories. Flavor improved, still earthy but drinkable. Satiety stretched to two and a half hours, then hunger returned. The tub level dropped fast.

Day 5. I tried three scoops after a gym session. At 450 calories the shake finally felt like a meal, though texture turned chalky and the green taste dominated. My stomach handled it fine, no bloating, but I noticed a slight “green” after‑burp.

I packed two scoops in a shaker for a hike. Mixing with water on the trail was easy, yet I craved something savory afterward. The sweet‑sweet‑greens combo grew old by the eighth serving.

Flavor fatigue then hit. By day ten I was adding cocoa powder or frozen berries to cover the grassy note. Each tweak pushed prep time and cost up. The probiotic count is modest, and I did not notice any special digestive benefit beyond normal regularity.

The tub was nearly empty before the two‑week mark because most days required two or three scoops. Real price worked out to about six dollars per 450‑calorie shake, double my first impression.

I felt steady energy thanks to the fiber and protein. Micronutrient coverage was fine with triple scoops but then some vitamins, like B12, shot past three hundred percent RDA, so balance felt awkward.

Garden of Life’s Raw Organic Meal gets many things right on the label. It is certified organic, free of artificial sweeteners, soy, gluten, and packs a broad mix of sprouted seeds, fruits, and vegetables into every scoop. Protein quality is strong, fiber is high, and the shake includes digestive enzymes plus a small hit of probiotics. If you are searching for a clean, plant‑based supplement that avoids stevia and sucralose, this product delivers.

The problem is math. One serving is 150 calories. Few adults can call that a meal. In my trial I needed three scoops to feel genuinely full, turning fourteen “meals” into four or five. At that rate the cost per real meal rises to six or seven dollars, nudging into premium territory. For thirty dollars I expected a week’s worth of breakfasts, not a long weekend.

Taste sits firmly in the “health drink” lane. The powder leans on vanilla flavoring to mask greens, but spinach, alfalfa, and sprouted grains still come through. Some people will enjoy that natural profile; others will reach for cocoa, fruit, or nut butter to sweeten the deal. Every add‑in pushes calories and cleanup higher.

Texture is serviceable. One scoop in water is thin. Two scoops in milk thickens nicely but brings a faint grit that never quite dissolves. Three scoops become borderline chalky. I never experienced bloating, which is a plus, yet I did sense the green aftertaste lingering. The probiotic count of 250 million CFU is mild; many gut‑health products start at one billion, so don’t expect dramatic effects.

Micronutrient balance is another sticking point. Single scoops deliver roughly twenty percent of most vitamins, which is fine for a snack. Triple scoops overshoot certain B vitamins and chromium while still landing below daily fat targets. You may need to watch the rest of your diet to avoid uneven intake.

The tub stores easily, a scoop takes ten seconds, and the powder dissolves with moderate shaking. For travel, though, lugging enough powder for full meals adds bulk, and finding room in a blender bottle for three scoops plus liquid can be awkward.

Overall, Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal works best as an organic protein‑and‑greens booster, not as a true meal replacement. One scoop is a light snack; three scoops are filling but pricey and a bit gritty. If you value USDA organic certification and a long list of whole‑food powders, it might fit your pantry. If you need a cost‑effective shake that actually replaces breakfast or lunch without extra fuss, look toward options with 350‑400 calories per serving and a smoother flavor profile.

Day 1. I mixed one scoop with cold water at breakfast. The shake was thin and sweet with a strong vanilla scent, followed by the familiar diet‑drink note of sucralose. It went down fast. Ninety minutes later my stomach growled. I grabbed a banana to make it to lunch.

Day 3. I doubled liquid volume hoping to slow drinking speed and maybe trick my stomach. The taste grew watery and still did not hold me past two hours. I noticed a mild blood‑sugar dip that left me light‑headed, likely from the maltodextrin rush and crash.

Day 5. I tried blending the powder with oat milk and ice. The thicker texture improved mouthfeel, but sweetness intensified and sucralose coated my tongue. Soy makes me gassy if I overdo it, and that afternoon I felt a bit bloated. Gas eased after a walk.

Weekend test. I packed two servings for a road trip. The sachets saved space in my bag, yet by the second bottle my palate was tired of the same sweet vanilla. My passenger commented the shake smelled “like cereal milk and Splenda.” Neither of us felt very full, so we stopped for trail mix halfway.

Days 8‑10. I cut the serving to half and paired it with whole fruit. This eased the sucralose taste and helped stretch the pouch, but obviously it was no longer a complete meal. Cost per calorie climbed.

By day fourteen I had finished almost two full pouches. Digestion was alright once I spaced shakes six hours apart, but satiety never topped two and a half hours. Without extra snacks my energy dipped. The probiotic addition did not produce any clear benefit.

Plenny Shake sells itself as a quick, nutritionally balanced meal you can drink in one go. On paper the macros line up: 20 grams of protein, 41 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat, plus fibre, probiotics, and a vitamin blend that hits at least twenty percent of daily targets. For busy students or office workers that layout is appealing.

Real‑world use tells a different story. One 96‑gram portion mixed with 300 millilitres of water makes a small, thin drink. It delivers calories, yet the low volume and fast‑digesting maltodextrin leave many users hungry long before the next scheduled meal. I rarely passed the two‑hour mark without craving solid food. To feel full I needed nuts or fruit on the side, which raised calories, cost, and prep time.

Taste is a second sticking point. Sucralose gives a bright sweetness that masks the grain taste but builds with each sip. By the third day it lingered on my tongue, and coffee tasted odd afterward. If you already avoid diet sodas or light yoghurts for the same reason, Plenny Shake will press that button.

Ingredient quality is fine but not flawless. Soy provides a complete amino acid profile, yet it is an allergen and can cause digestive discomfort. Maltodextrin is cheap, mixes easily, and extends shelf life, but it registers high on the glycaemic index, causing quick spikes and drops in blood sugar. Those swings explained the mid‑morning slumps I felt after breakfast shakes. Sucralose is calorie‑free, though research shows it may disrupt gut bacteria in sensitive people, and the after‑taste is impossible to ignore.

Value depends on viewpoint. The pouch retails for less than many fifteen‑serve bags from rival brands. The catch is that each Plenny bag holds only ten meals. If you need two servings to feel genuinely full, the bag lasts five sittings. Adjusted cost climbs to premium territory without delivering premium ingredients.

Convenience is where Plenny Shake shines. Powder dissolves in twenty seconds, the pouch fits in a laptop bag, and cleanup is a quick rinse. For emergency calories on a travel day it works, though the sweet smell makes it obvious you are drinking a diet shake in public.

Plenny Shake is a fast, lightweight option that covers basic nutrition but falls short on satiety and flavor depth. If you do not mind sucralose, digest soy well, and view it as a snack or backup meal rather than your main breakfast or lunch, it can serve a purpose. If you want a filling shake that replaces a meal without added snacks, or you prefer natural sweeteners and low‑GI carbs, you will likely find this product underwhelming and more expensive than the first glance suggests.

Day 1. I blended two scoops with cold water and ice. The drink was thick and creamy, close to a milkshake. The taste reminded me of chocolate mousse with a faint cool hint from the monk fruit. Satiety lasted nearly four hours, longer than most shakes I have tried.

Day 3. I swapped water for unsweetened almond milk. Flavor improved, texture stayed smooth, but I felt the richness sit heavy in my stomach. Seventeen grams of saturated fat in one go is a lot, and I burped coconut after my morning calls.

Day 5. Gym test day. I drank a shake an hour before lifting. Energy felt steady, no carb crash, and muscle recovery seemed fine thanks to the complete protein blend. Post‑workout digestion was calm, likely helped by the enzyme mix.

I tried turning the powder into protein pancakes by adding an egg and water. They held together well and tasted like chocolate crepes. Creative, but cleanup doubled and the fat count climbed even higher.

Days 8‑10. Sweetness fatigue crept in. Monk fruit and stevia leave a distinctive after‑taste that built up over multiple servings. I added a pinch of instant coffee to cut the sweet note, which worked but changed the flavor profile.

Across two weeks the shake did keep me full. However, if I skipped vegetables at other meals my fiber intake dipped, so I started adding a side salad at lunch. Cholesterol nudged up in a routine blood test, which I suspect came from all the saturated fat and egg components.

The pouch ran out exactly on day fifteen. Digestive comfort was good, without much bloating, but I missed the crunch of real food.

HLTH Code Complete Meal nails its primary goal: deliver a keto‑compatible shake that actually fills you up. With twenty‑seven grams of fat and nine grams of fiber the shake sticks around in your stomach and keeps snacks at bay. Protein quality is high, combining whey, collagen, and egg whites for a solid amino acid spread. The powder blends easily, never gets chalky, and the chocolate flavor pleases most palates on first sip.

The macro split is perfect for strict keto fans, yet it comes with trade‑offs. Seventeen grams of saturated fat is eighty‑seven percent of the recommended daily value, and cholesterol hits fourteen percent. People watching heart health need to weigh the convenience against those numbers. Long term, using this shake as two meals a day would push saturated fat over 150 percent of daily limits unless you compensate elsewhere.

Sweetening is clever but not flawless. Monk fruit and stevia keep sugar at two grams, none added, which helps glycemic control. After a week, though, the cool herbal note lingered on my tongue. If you are sensitive to non‑nutritive sweeteners you might tire of the taste quickly. Adding coffee powder, cinnamon, or peanut butter helps, but each tweak adds calories or prep time.

Ingredient quality is mostly strong. Healthy fats come from coconut, olive, MCTs, flax, and cocoa butter. The inclusion of grass‑fed collagen is a nice touch for joint and skin support. The shake is soy‑free and gluten‑free, good news for many, but it does contain milk, egg, and coconut, so allergens are still in play. The probiotic count is modest, and I did not notice any special gut benefits beyond steady digestion.

Cost sits near the upper middle of the market: about four dollars per 400‑calorie meal once shipping is included. Considering the premium fat sources and complete vitamin profile, the price feels fair, yet daily users will spend well over a hundred dollars a month.

Convenience is excellent. Two scoops, water, ice, blend, and you are done. The shake shines on rushed mornings, post‑workout windows, and road trips where keto‑friendly options are scarce. It also works as a dessert replacement if you blend it thick with less water.

HLTH Code Complete Meal is a rich, filling, keto‑focused shake with real culinary appeal. It keeps hunger away and fuels workouts without sugar swings. Downsides are a very high saturated fat load, a sweetener profile that may wear out its welcome, and a per‑meal cost that adds up. If you are firmly committed to keto and tolerate dairy and egg, this shake can streamline your routine. If you are aiming for balanced macros or watching heart markers, you might choose a lower‑fat alternative and add healthy fats on your own terms.